Homeownership remains low in third quarter

National vacancy rates in the third quarter of this year were 10.3 percent for rental housing, a .8 percent year-over-year decrease from 2009, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. The vacancy rate was 2.5 percent for homeowner housing, a .1 percent year-over-year decrease from 2009, and a .3 percent decrease from last quarter. In the third quarter of 2010, approximately 85.6 percent of housing units in the United States were occupied and 14.4 percent were vacant. Owner-occupied housing made up 57.3 percent of total housing units, while renter-occupied units accounted for 28.3 percent of the inventory. TRD